The defending Super Bowl champions dealt with the season-ending knee injury to star running back Jamal Lewis, and cameras captured the moment when coach Brian Billick received the phone call detailing the severity of the injury. The most memorable moment came during the rookie show, when linebacker Tim Johnson did a spot-on impersonation of tight end Shannon Sharpe. Johnson re-enacted the time Sharpe was locked in the meeting room by defensive tackle Tony Siragusa and wanted his "restitution." The shot of Sharpe and linebacker Ray Lewis laughing uncontrollably remains one of the series' most light-hearted moments.

Season result: The Ravens went 10-6 and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs, where they lost in Pittsburgh.

The Cowboys were a team in transition with only Emmitt Smith remaining from the days of the team's renowned "Triplets." After a 5-11 finish in 2001, the Cowboys believed they were on to better things in Dave Campo's third year coaching. The Cowboys definitely lived up to the made-for-TV moments: Chad Hutchinson, fighting for the starting quarterback job, spent time playing the guitar with receiver Richmond Flowers; receiver Anthony Lucas' gut-wrenching call on Jerry Jones' phone after he tore up his knee for the second year in a row; and George Foreman speaking to the team. The lasting image from this "Hard Knocks" season was Campo in a wet suit during a break in camp at SeaWorld in San Antonio playing with the dolphins.

Season result: The Cowboys finished 5-11 for the third straight year. Campo was fired and replaced by Bill Parcells.

Quarterback Casey Printers was incredulous when told by Ray Farmer, the Chiefs' personnel director, that he would be released. Printers wasn't good in training camp or the preseason, but he might have played better than any of the other Chiefs quarterbacks. "Hard Knocks" made a cult hero of Bobby Sippio, a journeyman wide receiver who joined the Chiefs in the middle of training camp after injuries struck hard at the position.

Season result: The Chiefs, after winning four of their first seven games, lost their final nine to finish 4-12.

-- Adam Teicher

Season 4, 2008: Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys took to Hollywood this season. After going 13-3 in 2007, they were viewed as Super Bowl contenders with quarterback Tony Romo, receiver Terrell Owens, tight end Jason Witten and linebacker DeMarcus Ware among 13 Pro Bowlers from the previous season. The Cowboys added cornerback Adam Jones and defensive tackle Tank Johnson, who had run afoul of the league for their actions in Tennessee and Chicago, respectively. The Cowboys had memorable practices against the Denver Broncos that featured a back-and-forth between Jones and receiver Brandon Marshall.

Season result: The Cowboys finished 9-7 and were torn apart from within. It didn't help that Romo missed three games with a broken pinky. The team closed with two losses, including a 44-6 debacle to Philadelphia in the finale. As he walked off the field, Johnson said aloud, "I'm a free agent, baby."

HBO's portrayal of the 2009 Bengals earned the team and the network a pair of Emmys. It was during this installment of "Hard Knocks" that football fans were more broadly introduced to receiver Chad Johnson (then Ochocinco) and his "child, please" and "kiss the baby" catchphrases. They also met Chris Henry, the embattled but up-and-coming receiver whose quiet personality endeared him to team president Mike Brown. In December of that year, Henry died when he fell off the back of a truck. Brown later said he thought the ability of "Hard Knocks" to tell personal stories about his players humanized the team and helped change people's view of the Bengals.

Season result: Cincinnati went 10-6 before losing in the wild-card round of the playoffs to the Jets.

It's still the highest-rated "Hard Knocks" in series history. Colorful coach Rex Ryan stole the show, entertaining many -- and annoying some -- with his R-rated vocabulary and nonstop sense of humor. The highlight was the "snack" speech. In a team meeting on the eve of a preseason game, the then-portly Ryan punctuated a tirade by barking at his players, "Let's go eat a goddamned snack!" The season also featured cornerback Darrelle Revis' contentious holdout. In the final scene of the final episode, Revis -- after signing a new contract -- walked out to practice and rejoined his teammates, who greeted him with a "Rudy" clap.

Season result: The Jets went 11-5 and lost in the AFC Championship Game.

The seventh season of "Hard Knocks" was highlighted by the introduction of then-rookie head coach Joe Philbin and the sudden ending to the career of receiver Chad Johnson. Philbin came off as a stickler for minute details in his first year, including one curious instance in which he picked up trash off the practice field. Philbin also had a short leash on Johnson, who got into a domestic incident with his former wife. In a memorable scene, Philbin brought Johnson into his office and cut him from the team. It turned out to be Johnson's final shot in the NFL.

Season result: The Dolphins went 7-9 and were mostly competitive in 2012 with a rookie coach and rookie quarterback in Ryan Tannehill. However, they failed to post a winning season for the fourth straight year. The streak would reach seven until the Dolphins finished 10-6 and reached the playoffs last season.

-- James Walker

Season 8, 2013: Cincinnati Bengals

One of the most-asked questions as it relates to the 2013 Bengals is this: Does Giovani Bernard still drive the minivan? Thanks to "Hard Knocks," viewers learned the rookie running back drove a van belonging to his girlfriend's mother to training camp in Cincinnati as he started getting his bearings in the new city. He no longer drives it. This season also told the story of defensive tackle Larry Black. After a promising start to the summer, the Cincinnati native and undrafted free agent suffered a season-ending ankle injury in a practice. The injury gave a raw glimpse at how quickly dreams can be delayed in the NFL.

Season result: Cincinnati went 11-5 before losing in the wild-card round of the playoffs to the Chargers.

The most memorable moment from a rather dull season of "Hard Knocks" with the Falcons was the number of fights that arose, some of which appeared to be staged. It started immediately with linebacker Kroy Biermann getting into it with rookie offensive tackle Jake Matthews. Then-coach Mike Smith was more vocal and demonstrative than normal, particularly when it came to regulating the fighting. Joe Hawley, Ra'Shede Hageman and Jacques Smith were involved in the fight as well. Hageman was portrayed as an out-of-control, out-of-shape rookie who kept getting frustrated with himself, which he didn't appreciate when the episodes aired.

Season result: The Falcons finished 6-10 and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Texans coach Bill O'Brien wasn't delighted to be on the show but wound up one of its biggest personalities. The show documented a set of brawls during joint practices with Washington and also the Texans' decision to choose Brian Hoyer as the team's starting quarterback over Ryan Mallett. Cornerback Charles James and receiver EZ Nwachukwu became fan favorites who then were released by the Texans when they cut the roster to 53 players. James eventually returned.

Season result: The quarterback drama continued after the Texans stopped being filmed, and they started 2-5. They recovered to become a 9-7 playoff team but lost in the first round.

A running theme throughout the show was the bizarre convictions of veteran defensive end William Hayes, who firmly disregarded any proof that dinosaurs ever existed and proudly clung to his belief that mermaids might actually be out there. It prompted a trip to the museum, where Hayes hilariously dismissed the fossils on display. It led to a training camp visit by a woman dressed in an Ariel costume. Said Hayes: "This is not something I just thought of a couple years ago. This is something I've always believed in."

Season result: No mermaid or dinosaur, real or otherwise, could have saved the Rams in 2016. Their first season back in Los Angeles was a disaster. They had the worst offense in the NFL, lost their last seven games and finished 4-12. Their longtime head coach, Jeff Fisher, was fired before it was over.